Fireplace Mantel and Favorite Holiday Decor ⋆ Growing Up Kemper

I’ve been plotting and planning over at the Kemper house, trying to find the great mix of new and old Christmas decorations to bring in all that holiday magic around our house. I’m beyond ready to get this house twinkling, but I like to have a little bit of a plan first. Especially since some of the best decorations are FLYING off the shelves this year. It seems I’m not the only one ready to get that red and green up! So I’ve been busy deciding what I need to buy and snagging it now before it sells out.

Did you catch my holiday garland roundup? My absolute favorite garland already went out of stock…TWICE already! I had posted around 10am Saturday morning that Kirkland’s had restocked online, but it was sold out completely within 30 minutes again. Whew! I’ll continue to post on Instagram and on my blog when it becomes available again because it really is that good. I used it on my fireplace mantel and I’ll be using a few more on my staircase in a few weeks, too.

Speaking of mantel, it’s the first area of my home that I decorated this weekend and I’m loving how it turned out! It’s full, it’s twinkling, and it’s got a lot of the pieces that I’m going to continue using throughout the rest of my home.

I layered 4 garlands this year to really make a greenery statement on the fireplace. Having red stockings, I wanted to contrast that with plenty of greenery with the garland and the trees on the right side. Of course I used two of my very favorite Kirkland Norfolk Pine Real Touch garlands on the bottom level, with two of the Long Needle Pine and Juniper Garland from Target on top. Truly, you can use just ONE of these types and your mantel would be stunning all on its own. I just really wanted the fullness this year to make a statement. And the textures of pine, eucalyptus, juniper, and berries all just create such depth with these combined.

Although my 5′ garland from Kirkland’s is currently sold out, you can snag the fuller 4′ version with pine cones for a little bit more! Same texture, same look, but with a bit more fullness and pine cones.

I am going to include gold bells in several different spots this season so I wanted to be sure to include them in the focal point of my living area, as well. This gold bell garland is so substantial and hangs so well directly across my mantel. If you have a larger space, you will need to buy multiple as they are 72″ long. To use these along your staircase or to add more of a drape to your fireplace mantel would probably need to buy 2 or more.

To add more of a delicate touch alongside my stockings, I added these 6 Vintage Indian Style gold bells. Added bonus: My kids love that they sound like jingle bells. Open that fireplace and jingle those bells on Christmas Eve night to be sure Santa knows just how to get to us. ❤

Since my garland was so full this year, I wanted to be sure that the decor on my hearth was minimal. I don’t want “stuff” to junk it up. I wanted more soft and subtle to add to the garland but not take the eyes away from it much. I saw this 2′ x 3′ white plush rug and I thought it would be a great texture and maybe even a bit of a conversation piece for this area. It softens the brick and adds a little bit of warmth. I love it!

I’m a big fan of adding twinkle and lights all around my home. The warmer the white, the better. I strung a strand of warm white lights through my garland, but to add a little bit of fun, I also add these 100 LED Star Lights through them, as well. I LOVE these lights and I know I’m going to be going back and buying more of these for a few other places. The perfect brightness, the perfect warmth, and the adorable factor is real high with these cuties!

On the other side of the hearth, I added two 24″ Pine Trees to keep the continuity of the greenery. I’ve had these for years and Michael’s brings them back holiday season after holiday season because they’re just adorable. The perfect size to sit on a console table, a front porch, the base of your stairs, or on your hearth. Mine have held up for over 3 years now and still looking good!

And finally, I purchased a 10-pack of gold candle holders and candle sticks from Amazon to use multiple places around the house this season. I flanked the TV with these to give a little added height and color to the area. Simple touch with a big impact!

When I’m thinking about decorating for the season, I like to pick a few pieces that I’ll use throughout my whole home. This year, I love my star lights, plenty of greenery, gold bells, and candle sticks. You’ll see them creeping up as I share each of my spaces through the coming weeks!

I hope I can be a little inspiration for you as you start to plan your home decor this holiday!